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Florida State junior linebacker Ernie Sims, a preseason candidate for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's best defensive player, was arrested Wednesday on charges of battery and resisting an officer without violence.
"Our athletic department discipline policy for a misdemeanor goes into effect with Ernie and he will be subject to that until I have all the facts," coach Bobby Bowden said in a statement.
That means he's automatically suspended, but Sims' status for the Sept. 5 opener against Miami will rest in the hands of Bowden and athletic director Dave Hart. A player facing a felony cannot represent the school, absent extraordinary circumstances, until the charge is resolved and all court, university and athletic department conditions for reinstatement have been met.
Tallahassee attorney Henry Hunter, hired to represent Sims, said the Tallahassee Police Department incident report is rife with errors and is confident the State Attorney's Office will see that before the Aug. 2 arraignment date. He already has entered a written plea of not guilty on Sims' behalf.
"Once it's looked at real closely, I expect the case to be resolved immediately and favorably," Hunter told the St. Petersburg Times.
No one disputes that Sims and his girlfriend of two years, Brooke McGriff, 20, a student at Tallahassee Community College, were embroiled in an argument in the parking lot of a residence hall. From there, accounts vary, especially when it comes to the most pertinent information.
A witness told police that Sims, 20, had picked up McGriff and carried her away against her will and, at one point, he "slammed her on the ground," straddled her and "repeatedly shoved her back to the ground" when she tried to get up. Some of Sims teammates tried to stop him, but couldn't, the report continued.
McGriff, however, told the Times that Sims had never slammed her and the incident had been blown out of proportion.
"I'm a strong woman in my beliefs and don't believe men should ever hit women; I wouldn't stand beside him if he did it," she said. "He is totally sweet and soft when it comes to me.
"This is just ridiculous what people are saying. This is really upsetting me. I just want all this to be behind us so me and Ernie can go on with our relationship."
She refused to press charges.
Police observed superficial scratches on her shoulder and neck to the center of her chest and right upper arm, but she refused to allow photos to be taken of her injuries. Police also noted scratches on Sims' chest; he wasn't wearing a shirt.
When Sims was being arrested, McGriff cried and screamed that she had told Sims she "was going to commit suicide and he was just trying to stop her," according to the report. When police asked Sims if she might harm herself, he said, "No. She's not that kind of girl." McGriff told the Times she didn't say anything about hurting herself and would never do that.
In addition to the battery, police also charged Sims with resisting an officer/obstruction without violence. He was taken into custody shortly before 4 a.m. and was released from the Leon County jail on his own recognizance. He has no criminal record, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records.
Sims is the second Seminole star linebacker in trouble. Senior A.J. Nicholson, who led the team in tackles last season, faces a DUI charge from February and was arrested last month for resisting an officer without violence when he was seen running from a Tallahassee bar and subdued by a Taser.
Times researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report.